An unexpected phone call
by Raisingfalcon
Summary: Edward recieves a phone call from Riza hawkeye that informs him to return to central for his state alchemist re-evalutation. A simple mistake from his supirior officer, Colonel Roy Mustang makes Edward jump through various hoops and Edward is not pleased. To the lenghs that Edward goes to remain a State Alchemist :/
1. The notification

**Incase if there might be any confusion, Alphonse is still his his armor body. Enjoy ^.^**

* * *

It's a normal sunny day in Central City and Mustang is as usual in his desk as Riza Hawkeye and the others are at their work station signing and reading documents of the army. Colonel Mustang is shuffling through a batch of papers, he's just tossing them from one side of the table to another till one of the files he's supposed to read catches his attention. With the curiosity he is thinking of opening it till he thinks to himself "Wait… Reading this is supposed to be my job."

He then causally opens the documents and takes a look Inside.

"Well well, It seems it time Full metal." He said with a cheerful expression.

He then directs his attention to Hawkeye "Lieutenant, I need you to contact someone for me".

* * *

Back at the Rockbell house it seems to be dinner time, sitting at the square table in each seat is Edward, Alphonse, Pinako and Winry. Everyone seems to finish their plate of Rice with a green bean side dish and a T bone. Edward is sitting in his chair just glaring daggers as his drink. Its Milk, his one weakness.

Winry stands up and grabs her dish "Just drink it, you will probably grow a centimeter taller."

" I will not! This is the devils drink… AND IM NOT SMALL" Still looking at his bottle milk like a staring contest.

She starts walking to the kitchen in an irritated manner and just mutters these words out " I wonder how you became a State Alchemist… Such a baby…"

Still looking at the bottle he responds " What are you talking about!? Everybody have things they don't like or reject, I just happen to dislike milk" After a few seconds he continues "It's the same thing as how you dislike to be lady like."

These words pierce right through Winry's ears like a spear. Her body stiffens up and her face turns to the face of a demon. The phone started to ring at the room next door so Al and Pinako used this as an excuse to exit the room to evade being caught in the crossfire that soon to begin.

"Oh Eeeeed" A gentle voice rings out through the room.

When a crippling realization comes to Edwards mind " A gentle voice? This means… Oh no, I think I went too far."

When Ed looks up towards Winry the first thing to catch his attention is the plate she had in her hand flying at full speed towards his face. There's no time to process his thoughts. CLASH a loud noise rang out, the disk broke on collision with Edwards face making him tip over his chair and fall to the floor. He doesn't know where he is at the moment, all he sees are birds chirping and flying around his head. The Auto mail enthusiast jumps on top of him and starts chocking him. As they fight for a few moments finally Pinako Rockbell comes into the room bearing the phone in her arms. The first thing she sees when entering the room is Winry having trapped Ed in a wrestling Figure for leg lock as Ed screams from the pain. She ignore the sight and with a stern face she continues.

"Ed, its for you."

This caught both Ed's and Winry's attention. Winry let Edward go and helped him get up from the ground. The Full metal alchemist then grabs the phone to see who's calling him.

"Hello?"

" It's a pleasure to hear you State Alchemist Edward Elric."

This voice was very familiar as Ed knew who it was.

" Lieutenant Hawkeye! not to be rude but its strange to receive a phone call from you. You usually come here in person."

She just casually laughs " Yes but this is an urgent news that you must hear."

Ed voice gets serious " What's the matter?"

"Seems your State Alchemist certification is about to expire and you are being recalled back to HQ to reevaluate your skills and abilities that you would give to the State Alchemist."

"Oh I see."

"Well, this happens to every state alchemist. Most of them get a pass because they are working directly under the military but for those that are of somewhere doing alchemic research then they must present an yearly demonstration of any research they have been conducting and if not then demonstrate that their abilities as a soldier haven't decreased."

Edwards thinks to himself (_Shit, I have been running around the place without the militaries permission and I haven't been doing any kind of alchemic research, this is bad_).

He then resumes his talk with the Lieutenant " So what should I do?"

"As you know you haven't followed direct military order as a state alchemist so you fall under the category of alchemic research so you must present Information on what you have been doing."

"But you know that I haven't been doing any alchemic research"

"I know, that's why you must present that your skills haven't degraded as a state alchemist by returning to HQ to fight a 1 on 1 battle vs. another state alchemist. This can only be done once so next year you will not have this option."

" I see, when do I have to return for this examination?"

Suddenly Hawkeye's voice gets a little high pitch and lower in volume " Weeeell, you see this kinds of things are informed to a state alchemist at least a month before examination so the person has time to prepare."

" Oh so next month I have to go there?" he said with a reaffirming voice.

"No"

"Eh!?"

" The man that was supposed to inform you was Colonel Mustang but he usually slacks of work and has a mountain bigger than his apartment of unread documents and paper work so he came across this news only like half an hour ago and he told me to inform you."

"WHAAAAAAAT!? IM GOING TO KILL HIM!" Edwards scream was heard throughout the house as he grasp the phone so hard it was possible it could break at anytime.

Riza had to take the phone off her ear so her eardrum wouldn't burst. She then resumes her talk.

"I'm sorry but you have to be here tomorrow for evaluation."

Suddenly she hears a thud through the phone, Edwards collapse to the floor. Pinako takes a deep breath and grabs the phone.

"I'm sorry but he fainted, would you like me to tell him something?"

"Haha, doesn't surprise me. He knows what he must do just tell him to get a good night's rest".

Both persons hang up their phone from their respective lines and Pinako stares ad Ed's fainted body as she relives a sigh.

* * *

After Edward regain consciousness he decided to gather everyone in the living room. Everyone was all crunched up in the couch as Alphonse took most of the space due to his metallic body.

"OK! We have a huge problem on our hands" Ed says while standing infront of everyone.

"We?" Pinako she said trying to breath correctly.

"Yes, because I'll probably lose my state alchemist certification and you will all feel sorry for me."

All of Winry's thoughts where the same thing flying around in her mind _(he's so self centered…)._

"Anyways I will have to be leaving as soon as possible to reach central in time for the evaluation."

Pinako scratches her head with her one free arm "Now? You do know the trains already stopped running right?"

Ed takes a few seconds to process these terrible news.

"WHAT!? But its only…" he takes a moment to look at the clock that's on the wall next to him "Its only… 10:30 pm…" He lowers his head in disgrace.

(_How long was I fainted?_)

"You would have to wake up early to catch the first train to central if you want to make it by noon." Winry said as she's trying to get a sitting spot despite being squeezed by Al's body.

"Then I guess I have no choice, thanks for your help" Ed then leaves the room.

Al decides to go with him. When Alphones get up from the couch suddenly Pinako and Winry that where sitting beside him in opposite directions they both come crashing towards the middle.

Pinako gasping for air "We need a bigger couch"

Winry nods in agreement.

* * *

After the meeting Ed decides to go to sleep early to catch the first train. As they say the early bird catches the worm. After some time he's in his room trying to sleep but encounters a huge problem that won't allow him to sleep. He has to pee. Edward gets up from his bed wearing only a boxer and goes out to the hallway. He scratches his head as he walks and turns to the first door to his right. When he opens the door the lights are already on but he's to sleepy to notice and just walks to the toilet and lets out his precious jewel that every man holds dear to their hearts. When the stream of pee finally comes out he lets out a sigh of relief. At this very moment a loud scream would echo through the entire house. AHHH! Edward though his ear drums would explode as he looks to his side and sees a naked Winry taking a bubble bath next to him. Ed looks down and widens his eyes to only see her face as she desperately tries to cover most her breast that where trying to float on top of the water.

Ed at this moment is consume with various thoughts that came rushing towards his mind. He can only stay there staring as the girl in front of him yells "GET OUT YOU PERVE!"

Ed didn't even try to pull his boxers back up as he's just stares with a red face towards his side. He tries to keep his composure as he turns around to walk away but instead crashes with the wall next to the door as Winry throws everything she could grab. Ed's face gets struck by various objects as he raises his boxers and falls to the ground and finally make his way out of the bathroom. Being kicked out of the bathroom he decides to make a dash for his room. Nobody in the house really cared for the noise as it always found its way into the Rockbell home every since The Elric brothers decided to stay with them for a little while. Pinako in these time learned to sleep with ear plugs and Al was always to concentrated reading his books.

Winry in complete shock after the incident her mind start to bring up various thoughts.

(That creep! He's such a pervert! I'll teach him a lesson! Has he ever learned how to knock!?)

But one of them stand out the most.

(D- Did he like what he saw?)

She quickly shook her head and lowered herself into the bubbles as she continued her bath.

* * *

The day finally arrived but there was only one tiny problem. Edward with all his charisma and ego slept through his alarm that was set for 6am. Al shares the same room as Ed but as he can't sleep due to his body so he usually spends his nights in the first floor studying alchemy, reading books or outside looking at the sky and sometimes training. Ed wakes up 40 minutes later as he lets out a big yawn. The state alchemist looks at the clock and suddenly all hell breaks loss. In less than 10 minutes he got dressed and ready to leave. With so little time he even forgot to take his bags with him. Al was downstairs preparing breakfast for when everyone woke up, he heard someone coming down quickly.

"I just finishing breakfast, y-"

He was completely cut off as a speeding Edward rushed by pass him in a speed so incredible that Al's eggs almost went flying away. Without hesitations he sprints to the train station at a mind baffling speed. When he finally reaches the train station at 6:55 am he rushes towards the ticket seller.

Ed stops with a cloud of smoke behind him "I need a ticket Asap!"

When he looks through the other side of the booth he doesn't see anybody. He gets anxious and starts screaming if anybody's there. Suddenly he hears a voice that came from behind him.

"What are you doing?"

When he turns around he sees a young male around his 20's with brown hair.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the guy that sells the tickets for the train…"

Ed eyes widen as they fill with anger "THEN WHY ARE YOU NOT IN THE BOOOTH!"

The young man scratches his head "We open at 7:30 am on Sundays."

Edwards reality breaks in that instance as he falls into an abyss in his mind.

"Sir, why are you crouched in the edge of the floor like that?" the young man asked.

(_All the hurrying for nothing… I missed breakfast…_) The alchemist thought to himself.

As Ed gets up the brown haired man continues.

"Either way the trains won't be running today."

"?"

"Late last night a group of bandits or something came out and broke the railroads as a train was passing. It was terrible. There already sent some alchemist to fix the tracks s the trains stations would be back up and ready for business tomorrow."

Edward grits his teeth " I see, then you're here to relay that message to anyone intended to ride the trains today right?"

"Exactly."

Suddenly the problem at hand returns crashing into his brain as he yells out loud.

"Crap… I NEED TO GET TO CENTRAL!"


	2. A casual ghost town

Edward Is finally back in the Rockbell house with a storm cloud over his head as he enters the living room and falls face first against the sofa. Winry and Al just happen to walk in the room seeing a misfortunate Alchemist laying flat on his stomach.

"What happened big brother?"

" Some people destroyed the train tracks and apparently tipped the train and now I can't get to central…"

His voice didn't sound to clear because his mouth was against the sofa.

" So that means you can't get to central? What are you going to do once you're not a state alchemist anymore!?"

"He will probably join the circus" Winry then laughed buts she's trying to contain it.

Edwards sits upwards and puts a finger in his chin "Well I do have an abnormal size so I-"

Suddenly he noticed something, he was admitting that he was small. Without a second though he started to scream and scratch his head repeatedly with both hands.

"What am I going to do!?"

"Don't worry, this is good timing to try out something I have been working at for a couple of months now" Winry said as she puffed out her cheeks.

"This is no time for some stupid auto mail…" Edward mumbles.

"ITS NOT AUTO MAIL YOU ALCHEMY FREAK!"

"Then what is it?"

"Glad you ask" Winry said as she regain composure.

They were now in the garage of the house. Like the Rockbells don't have a car Winry usually uses the space as a storage room for all her gadgets, tools and anything else that she decides to throw in there.

"TADA!" Winry said with great enthusiasm as she unveiled the cloth that was over a large object.

" A motorcycle? Since when did you have this?" Al tilted his head.

"I found it laying around a couple of months ago, it was totaled but in my spare time I managed to fix it and make a few upgrades to it myself."

" Do you even know how to ride a motorcycle?" Edward questioned Winry's good resolve.

" Of course, I know how to ride most things: cars, motor boats, hot air balloon, a bike and so on."

Edward thought that riding a unicycle was impressive so he was easily amazed by this and could only praise Winry after telling him those things.

After a few minutes Winry as Mach speed installed the passenger seat and pushed the motorcycle outside. Alphonse sat in the passenger seat and Edward was sitting behind Winry.

"Are you guys ready?"She said as she put on her helmet."

Winry then turn on the motorcycle letting a huge roar from the engine out. Edwards starts to have second thoughts on this trip but as he's about to talk Winry accelerates and speeds off leaving only a trail of dust behind.

They were easily going at 300mph. The train in Resembool went up to speed of around 120 mph, considering this the Winry's motorcycle would make good time in reaching Central. Edward wasn't used to this kind of speed so all he could do was grip Winry waist tighter to hold on for dear life but this only made Winry blush so she responded with accelerating even more. After a few seconds they made it out of Resembool and where on a dirt road to central.

The traveled in silence for a few minutes along the road until Alphonse finally spoke.

"Hey Winry."

"Yes Al?"

"I was wondering beside now, have you ever gone to central on this motorcycle?"

"To be honest this is the first time in even riding a motorcycle."

Ed's and Al's faces suddenly let out a shocked expression as they both in unison let their worries out.

" EHH?"

"Don't worry, how different from riding a bike can this be? I mean we haven't fallen and died yet so I say this is going pretty good."

Edwards has so many doubts that he won't even live to make it in time for his re-evaluation. But with curiosity he ask Winry another question.

" I'm scared to ask but do you even know who to get to central in this death contraption?"

Winry without a worry in the world responds.

"Nope."

Alphonse at the speed of lightning turns his head to the driver "WAA? then where are we going!?"

" I don't know, I'm just looking for the next town along the way to ask for directions."

"Brother I think where not going to make it in time."

When Al diverts his attention to Ed that's sitting behind Winry he notices that Ed is already unconscious because of the recent events.

"BROTHER!" Alphonse cries out.

* * *

After fifth teen more minutes they finally spotted a small town at the horizon. Edward regained consciousness after entering the small town. This place had like a weird vibe to it. The town had a western style theme going through it. Most building where made from wood and the roads where just dirt trails like from the one they were traveling a few minutes ago.

The group makes their way into town and park their motorcycle in the nearest bike rack they could find that was next to a convenience store. One thing you would notice after entering this small town is that there barley anyone outside. The store also seems to be close.

Winry lowers her head and mutters out

"This seems as it going to be more difficult that I thought."

"WE MIGHT EVEN BE GOING IN THE OPPSITE DIRECTION FROM CENTRAL THANKS TO YOU!" Edward yells out as he points out towards Winry.

" Details, details…"

Alphonse walks forward to them.

"This place looks like a ghost town. I wonder what happened here."

" There's no time to be investigating this, lets split up and look for someone to get directions." Edward coldly responds to his brother.

Winry is next to them curling up her feet together as she moves up and down in the same position.

"Umm, I have to use the bathroom."

"Oh really?" Edward responds as he looks towards her.

"Oh really!? that's all? What are you trying to get at? You want to repeat that incident!?"

Alphonse tilts his head

"What incident?"

Edward and Winry freeze up and they both start to wave their hands in front of Al

"Oh nothing, nothing happened."

"Yeah, yeah" Edward says after her.

Winry then takes charge.

"I'll go alone to find a bathroom while you two look for someone and ask directions."

Edwards raises his hand and puts them behind his head "Well then be careful, I heard some strange things have happened in this town."

Winry diverts her full attention towards Edward as he continues.

" Just don't look at a mirror for more than ten seconds and whatever you do don't say bloody marry three times."

Winry has her arms in her cheeks and is trying to hide her trembling feet.

"W-What h-happens if I say it three times?"

" Oh I don't know but I heard that's how the disappearances started to happen in this town. OH and always look behind you anytime you can." The state alchemist then turns around "Ok let's move out Al!"

Suddenly Ed feels something holding down his left hand. When he looks he see's winry holding strongly with both her hand onto Ed.

"I-I- I think it would be best If you ca- came with me."

"Didn't you just say that you wanted to go alone?"

Winry quickly stands forward but with trembling feet's "NO! but what happens if a mean man happens to take a glance and me. He will surely not hesitate to take a piece of this." She says as she points at herself with both hands.

Winry could possible defend herself better with her wrench than Ed could with his alchemy but she still insisted for him to come along. After a few more moments of her inventing cruel and harsh things happening to her like alien abductions or zombie raid that would utilize her body to detonate the world Ed just caved in and agreed.

"You know those are worst case scenario's right?"

"Sh-Shut up!" She says waving her head to both sides quickly.

After that they finally separate and head on to complete their own objectives. Winry and Edwards both are walking around town looking for a place with human activities. The auto mail engineer is franticly clinging closely to Edward's left arm as she continuously looks to all directions.

As they walk they only hear the sound of the wind blowing and their footsteps. When they take a right turn in the road in front of them they reach a run downed motel when they finally take a breath of relieve. In the porch in front of the hotel there was an old man sitting in a rocking chair with a wooden stool that he used to place his drink on top of. The old man was bald and had glasses on.

They both make their way up to the old man.

"Finally we found someone in this town." Edward said with a sign of relief.

The old man stop rocking his chair "Ohhh looky who it is, visitors! We don't have much visitors as of late." He then looks around his surroundings "Well we don't have much of anything as of late to be honest, so do you need anything?". He said with a chirpy kind of high pitched voice.

"We were actually looking for a bathroom and to ask for some directions?" Winry answered.

"OHH I see, where are you wiper snappers going?"

"We are heading toward Central City but we don't know if where heading the right directions".

"It's your lucky day because this town is was actually a merchant town. Before the train connecting places like Central and Resembool together they used this town as a place of distribution. Before going to Resembool they made a stop here with the cargo to resupply and what not". He then takes picks up his drink.

"So what you're saying old man is that we are just next to central?" Edward wanted to clarify.

"Haha you can call me Ernesto and yes, if you follow this road out of town and follow it straight you should reach Central without any problem." He then takes a zip of his drink.

"So kids are you to a couple?"

Edward tilts his head "Why do you ask that?"

"Because that girl keeps clinging to your hand for dear life." He then puts his drink back down.

Winry face turns to a clear pink color as she lets go rapidly of Ed's arm.

" So why is this town abandoned?" She tried to change the subject.

" Ooooh after the train was complete they had no more use for this town. All the cargo and people just used the train to go to their places in a more direct and faster manor. Besides this town isn't meant for tourist and to be honest it's not the most pretty sight to see".

Edward leans against the wall of the hotel.

"So basically the town was abandoned because it already served its purpose."

Ernesto nods in agreement. After a moment of silence between them Winry speaks up.

"Oh and returning to topic, can you point me to the bathroom?"

"Of course, anything for a beautiful lady like yourself. Just enter through the door and to the hallway next to the counter to the seco-"

Suddenly gun shots rang out through the air.

Edward and Winry both look at the directions where it came from.

"Whats happening over there?" Edward questions.

Winry takes a gulp.

"Isn't that the place Al was walking off to!?

"Shit" Edward then turns around to Ernesto "Thanks for everything but we have to go now."

"Don't worry and good luck."

* * *

The door to Colonel Mustang's office opens. Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye makes her way inside the room, as she enters she notices that nobody is currently present inside the office beside a mountain of paper work in Colonel Mustangs desk. She Is carrying with her letter adressed to Mustang but like hes not present she walks up to his desk to leave the letter in his desk. Hawkeye finally makes it to his desk and leaves the letter on the side of the desk apart from the mountain of paper accumulated by the past five days. When the Lieutenant turns around to leave she notices that the pile of paper moves, out of pure instinct she draws her side arm pistol and points toward the mountain of paper. The paper mountain suddenly rises and a familiar face appears from underneath.

"Hmm, do you need something lieutenant? Im kind of busy at the moment" A recently awaken Mustang said.

Riza clams down and puts her pistol away " Colonen your not suppose to sleep on the job, your paper work is piling up."

" I'll get it done the usual way"

"Dump it on your subordinates?"

"Affirmative"

The continue to stare at each other for a moment but neither of them talks.

"Well... A letter arrived for you regarding Edward's Elric Re-evaluation, I was told to bring it to you."

Colonel Mustangs eye's completly changed from sleepy to completely focused eye's in an instant. Riza hands him the letter and Roy opens it and reads it. After a while Mustang speaks.

Mustang gives a smirk "So I get to choose who he will fight in the re-evalutation, Intresting".

* * *

Winry and Edward run past the window of the hotel and down the porch and head towards the place where they heard the gunshots. They didn't noticed but on the other side of the window the hotel was completely destroyed and was a huge mess inside like nobody has been there for over ten years.

When they are running through the street they quickly see a man that was lunged off the window of the building they were about to pass. When they enter they see a gang of about eight people surrounding Al.

"Oh hi brother!" Al makes a warm and happy greeting.

"What the hell did you do" Edwards shouts from outside the open door."

Suddenly a tall white man with red hair starts to shoot at Winry and Ed. They both instinctively jump to the side and behind the door where the wall protected them.

"A pocket watch with the Amestrian dragon? You must be a State Alchemist from Central sent here. In that case we will not give in! We will fight for what you did to us!" He yells out towards Edward from Inside the establisment.

He then whispers to Winry

"These guys are for real, we can't talk to them now let's just beat them first".

The blonde man then gives an order.

"The the metalic armored freak out, I'll personally deal with the girl and the Alchemist."

One of the gang responds with a determined mind set

"YES BOSS!"

The Red haired leader seemed to be tall and has quite a body.

Edward keeps whispering to the girl next to him

"Run off and get the motorcycle, we will hold them off till you return to make our escape."

As he finishes talking the wall next to them explodes outward as Winry falls to the ground and Edward takes a few steps back.

"Hmm seems I was off by a little." The gang leader said as he walk through the hole he created.

The man wasn't carrying any weapons with him and didn't seem to have any on him too. He was only wearing a red T-shirt under his brown leather jacket and blue jeans.

"I will show you the pain that Central have shown us by granting you your death".

Edward claps his hand and from his auto mail arm he spawns his short sword.

"Think you have a fighting chance? how cute boy." The unarmed man taunted.

Edwards decide he had enough and charges straight ahead towards his opponent. The red haired man decides to the same. Edward is caught of guard by the actions of an unarmed man taking a charge as well.

Edward doesn't care, he quickly closes the gap and swings his arm aiming for neck but the man counters the blade with only his arm.

"Tsk" Edward retracts his arm and takes a step back to regain his stance then throws a high kick with his auto mail leg to hit rib cage but his opponent takes the full hit yet he doesn't stop. A quick punch is thrown toward Edwards gut sending him flying to the ground.

Edwards start to cough out blood laying in the ground.

"WINRY RUN!"

_(What the hell was that, his punch packed too much power for an ordinary fist. There's only one explanation for this)_ Edward thought to himself.

He then picks himself of the ground and faces his opponent which is walking closer to him.

"You are an alchemist, am I correct?"

"You already noticed just after one punch? You must really be a prodigy."

Edward wipes the blood from his lip.

"I already had a hunch when you blew through the wall with only one kick."

The jacked wearing man laughs " I use my alchemy in a way to reinforce my bone structure, skin and blood so it could be as hard as Iron".

Edward's brain quickly flashes an image of greed.

_(No, his skin isn't dark colored so it has to be a weaker form of that technique and also he's not a homunculus, not that I know of anyways.)_

Winry decides to make a dash now that the man is distracted with Edward but man quickly makes his way and catches up to her and grabs her by the hair.

"AHH" Winry yells out. "LET ME GO."

"You bastard…" Edwards says as he looked at him displeased.

* * *

Inside the establishment it seems it was a bar as it was filled with beer bottles everywhere. They were falling on the floor and been thrown around by Al as he fought off the other gang members. Al grabbed a table and used it as a type of shield for the bullets being shot off. He knows the table isn't working as the bullets keep breaking through.

He decides to through the table at one armed member at it crashes against him knocking him out. Al anyways doesn't even need a shield because his metallic armored body already protects him from the bullets.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THAT GUY!? That's not natural!" A gang member yelled out.

Another hooded member came from a back door.

"Let me handle this." He then takes out an RPG.

"AHHHH" everybody in the bar screamed out.

As he fired the shot Al clapped his hand and used alchemy to raise the ground beneath the bar to form a rock dome around him. The explosion ranged out through the entire bar as the explosion came out through the windows.

The red haired man looks in confusion towards the bar "What happened?"

When he took his eyes off the counter attack commenced. Edward with his outstanding speed lunged towards the red haired man. Before the man noticed Edward already closed more than half the distance that was around seven meters. The man tossed the girl towards Edward, he instinctively grabbed Winry but the red hair man was ran right behind her and was ready to strike.

Edward used a baseball slide so they can slide under their opponents feet.

"Tsk" The gang leader turned to face the state alchemist.

Edward quickly let go of WInry and performed a kick up and got on his feet. When the red hair leader charged forward Ed clapped his hand and rapidly tapped his opponents gut. Knowing the man was going to tank through his attack and hit him, the young blonde man did a cover role to escape the attack of the his opponent.

"What was that right now? To scared to know what to do? Doesn't surprise me from a dog of the military."

The leader of the group then charged forward one more time but this time Edward thrust his auto mail arm forward. This time the blade went through his gut. When Ed looked up the man's fist was right about to hit his head but stopped.

"What just happened?" The man then threw up blood as he remained standing up.

" I just reverted your carbon atoms back to normal."

The state alchemist claps his hands and retracts his swords making his hand normal again.

"I already fought someone in the past that had that same ability, I already knew what to do. You lost the moment you became my opponent."

The red hair man then collapses on the ground unconscious. Alphonse then makes his way out of the destroyed bar with one leg not present.

"Hey brother I need your help" he chuckles as he's carrying the fragments of his left leg with his arms.

* * *

When the red haired man finally regains consciousness he notices he's in a different building and is surrounded with his injured gang. They apparently have been bandaged up and most are in mats on the floor resting.

The voice of a certain state alchemist sounds out.

"Hey, what was the meaning of all that back there."

"…"

"My brother already told me that he just came into that bar asking for directions and you guys started to yell crap about central and attacked him".

The leader of the defeated gang sits his upper body up " We… We where a group that only sought out the rebirth of our beloved town. We used the bar as our HQ and we where sorting out our equipment that we acquired recently."

Edward walks towards him and sits beside him "You mean the equipment from the train you destroyed."

"So you figured it out?"

"Wasn't that hard to be honest. Did you know I'm going through hell and back because I couldn't use the train".

"…"

"You do know that their other ways of rebuilding your town other than destroying the train."

"But that was the reason we were forgotten about".

" Well then do something else! You should changed the town and made it a sight where people would want to come and see."

The red hair man lowers his head " With the train people didn't have a reason to come here anymore. I lived in this town since a baby and I always loved it. Seeing people leave continuously and everything going broke was a huge blow. I tried to make this town lively again but failed, I only had that train to blame. I had to eventually leave my precious town too but the pain was too great. After ten years I left my family and returned with nine others to reform this town with the destruction of the train as the start."

"There aren't any phone lines so I can't contact Central Headquarters so I let you guys off with a warning. Just return to family and continue your happy life. They are probably worried sick. You guys don't look like the criminal type anyways. I'll be going now."

As Edward stands up and begins to walk the man behind he speaks.

"Richard, my name is Richard."

"I hope we meet again under different circumstances Richard".

Edward, Winry and Alphonse are outside as the auto mail enthusiast get the motorcycle ready. In the time those people where sleeping Winry picked up her ride as Ed fixed Al.

When they finally are all seated in the motorcycle are ready to depart Winry decides to re-confirm her directions so she talks to a boy with brown short hair who's sitting outside the building where the other group members are resting.

"Hey kid, If I take the next right I can follow it out of town and go directly to Central right?"

The kid looks up to her "Yes, for a visitor you sure know your way around her."

Winry laughs a little in gratitude " Thanks but actually and old man Ernesto told me earlier."

The kid's eye's turn serious as he glares a spear through her "That's not funny lady, Ernesto was the mayor of this town ten years ago before he died."

Her face turns pale "I- Impossible, He was a old man with a bald hair and glasses."

"Exactly, you just described our dead mayor that's dead."

A female came out of the bar as she overheard to conversation and told Winry that the kid wasn't lying.

"Y-Y-Yo-You mean I talked to a gh-ghost?"

"Seems that way" Edwards confirmed.

Suddenly Winry fainted and fell back on Edward.

"AHHH WINRY!" Ed and Al yelled out.

They put Winry in the passenger seat and Ed had no option but to ride the motorcycle as Al sits behind him. After a few failures of trying to hold the bike straight they finally made their way out of the town and of to Central.


	3. A loving hate part 1

**Raisingfalcon: Hey guys I hope your enjoying the story, now it's going to-**

***the door open abruptly***

**Colonel Mustang: Hey what's the big deal? Am I suppose to be the second main character?**

**Raisingfalcon: Of course, why do you ask?**

**Colonel Mustang: I've only appeared in two scenes! What the hell are you doing? A made up character has gotten more screen time than me!**

**Lieutenant Hawkeye: You should use this time to do your paper work and stop lazing around.**

**Colonel Mustang: Paper work? I would rather shoot myself.**

**Raisingfalcon: I can arrange that if you want.**

**Lieutenant Hawkeye: Alright! This means I'll be the second main character! Dad's finally going to accept me as a daughter! Oops where did that come from.**

**Colonel Mustang: What? NO! Just get me more screen time!**

**Raisingfalcon: Well I can arrange you to be in the first scene.**

"Now this is more like it."

Mustang said as he looked out the window of his office. The door opened and the one that walked in was a familiar face to Mustang, it was his lieutenant.

"Colonel, I have an update on the Elric situation"

" Proceed"

"As the train station is out of service for the mean while and State Alchemist Edward Elric can't make it we called him to re schedule the re-examination. Seems Pinako Rockbell, owner of the property picked up and informed us that Edward has already departed on his own towards Central."

"Ha, seems he's as stubborn as always, and I was just about to send a car to pick him up."

"What should we do?"

"Gather my subordinates: Jean Havoc, Vato Falmon, Heymans Breda and Kain Fuery. They have urgent Business."

"Should I Inform them that you want them to do your paper work?"

The Colonel sits on his chair and picks up a nearby magazine from his desk "Yes".

Its 1:00 pm and the sun in as bright and colorful as always, the motorcycle was going at a mind blowing speed of approximately five kph. As Edward was driving the bike kept going in zig zags along the road. As the group traveled the road a unexpected turbulence and noise came from the motorcycle. It's started decreasing in speed and it came to a complete stop.

The noise was loud enough to wake up a slumbering Winry that was laid out on the passenger seat.

"What's going on?" She yawned as she stretched out her arms upwards.

Shaking and not taking his eyes of the road the State Alchemist responded.

"It finally stopped? I've never done something as dangerous as this before."

That statement was a complete lie but Edward was certainly scared of that death trap. He would rather eat nails than to ride it.

Winry leans to the left to see the gauge meter for fuel, as she expected it was on empty.

"Hmm, we seemed to run out of fuel, It's on 'E'.

Alphonse stands up out of the motorcycle seat and on the floor. He basically did no effort as his legs where already tall enough to stand over the motorcycle. Al was just clutching his legs as the motorcycle was in motion.

" Doesn't 'E' mean even more fuel?" He nervously chuckles trying to change to mood of the atmosphere.

"I wish…"

The group was now stranded in the middle of the dirt road that lead to Central but no one barley came across it anymore due to it was the road leading into the ghost town.

Hidden along the trees that are beside the dirt road a little farther off lies a huge mansion. It seems this mansion is meant for only the highest quality of people. In the balcony on the 4th floor stood someone.

"Hmm? People? This is a rare sight."

To him the people he was glaring at looked like tiny ants. He snapped his fingers and said.

"Henry , get me my Binoculars"

Standing behind him was Henry, his butler.

"Yes master."

After no less more than one minute later the butler returned with a pair of binoculars.

"Here you go master." Henry hands over the Binoculars to his master.

As he looks through them he could clearly see three individuals screaming at each other. But something caught his eyes. He was blown away by the sight of a beautiful woman. With those luscious curves, perfect skin and natural blonde hair. His heart pounded as he began to sweat.

"Wh- who is that goddess? I must meet her."

He snapped his finger again but this time out of the darkness a butler didn't appear but a armored knight. This Knight seemed to be decorated with a cape and the sheet of his sword was diamond encrusted.

"What is your biding my master?" His voice sound like an echo because of the helmet he's wearing.

"I want you to bring those people over here." he pointed out to their location but not looking at the knight.

"Your wish Is my command, I live to serve the royal family because we knights are thought three simple things: Respect, Loyalty, and bladder control. If we can't uphold any of these sacred laws then we are nothing more than common sewer rats and deserve death."

As he finished with his speech he got back up and then the knight left the room.

"So what do we do now?" Alphonse questioned.

Edward scratched his head.

"We would have to walk the rest of the way."

"Seems there no other way I suppose." The auto mail enthusiast then started to push her motorcycle.

"Don't Winry! Ill push it for you, don't worry." Al said as he took the load of Winry.

"Oh thanks Al it's good to see there's a gentlemen among us."

Edwards shoulder raised up like an elevator "Are you indirectly saying something!?"

Winry turns to Edward "I don't know what you're talking about" She said with a sarcastic tone.

Edward is clearly ticked at that comment so he rushes over and takes the bike away from Al and starts running forward.

"You see I'm a complete gentlemen!"

They didn't noticed but out of the trees along the dirt road there was a road that connected with it up ahead. When Edward was running forward a long black limousine cut him off, as he was running full steam ahead he could not stop in time and crashed against the side of the limo.

The back door opened, from it came out a knight with a cape.

"I'm armored knight leader Miles, leader of the last knights. We work under the last of the royal family for their protection because the royal family are the essence of good and justice in the word. Those who do not accept this reality are fools."

Edward is on the ground rubbing his head after falling to the ground.

"Hey watch where you-"

"FOOL, It is YOU that must watch where you're going! Honor, guts, constipation. We knights live under this code that is why I must not fail. I've been ordered to assist you back to the mansion, that is my mission."

Winry and Alphonse are a few feet away from the knight and Edward tilting their heads and giving a fake smile.

"Winry, this guy is crazy" he said that only she could hear him.

"I know but we are out of fuel, there also trying to lend us a helping hand. Who knows they might even have fuel for us."

"Yeah your probably right"

Their private conversation suddenly gets interrupted

"You shouldn't keep a man only intended to help you waiting, it is rude and only a fool would pass this opportunity."

"Thank you for this kind gesture, we would happily follow you back to the mansion." Winry said as she bowed in gratitude.

After hearing this the knight leader helps Edward up and puts the motorcycle inside the limo in the frontal part as the Elric gang enters via the back part. It was a quite ride back to the mansion as Winry, Ed and Al sat in one seat in the back of the limo staring in front of them as the Knight leader sat on the opposite seat alone with his arms crossed.

After five quite minutes they made it to the mansion. A huge fence gate in front of them towering twenty feet tall. Behind the gate lied a beautiful courtyard with a fountain in the middle surrounded by all kinds of majestic flowers. The Limo finally made its stop at the door of the Mansion.

"WOAH, this place is beautiful!" Winry exclaimed with excitement as she excited the limo with Ed and Al.

"FOOL, of course it beautiful! This is a sacred place for royal blood. Only the best quality of living should be present in a house of this caliber. Embrace, happiness, Photosynthesis. These are all requirements that must be held to the highest regard in this mansion." The Knight leader said as he made his way out of the limo.

"Now follow me inside the prince awaits."

Ed, Al and Winry all sang in unison "PRINCE?"

Ed turns backwards in a crouching position to talk to Al as he does the same.

"He wasn't kidding about the Royal family blood thing." Edward muttered quietly.

"I thought he was just exaggerating, to be honest that armored guy came across as a crazy person."

As Edward nods in agreement from what his younger brother said, Winry grabbed both of them by the collar and dragged them inside the mansion. When inside the mansion they could see in front of them a long staircase that lead to the other floors of the house. The white painted walls had a special glow to them as they were decorated with paintings of the past kings, queens, princess and princes of other generations. A gigantic golden chandelier stood floating over them as they gazed and the room.

A Maid came out with refreshment for them from a door to their left that lead to the kitchen.

"Now if you excuse me I'll inform the master of your arrival, please make your self's at home." He then pointed to the side where fancy couches and seat awaited them.

The Knight leader made his way to where the price waited. When he arrived to his room the prince was sitting brushing his blonde short hair as he stared with his blue eyes at the knight leader.

"It seems they have arrived, bring the goddess to me."

The Knight leader kneeled in his presence "My lord what about the other two?"

The prince stood up "Throw them in the prison cells that are in the dungeon."

"Yes my price." He then stood up and went downstairs to follow as planned.

Winry, and Ed where sitting on the sofa eating some fancy cookies and bread with tea. Al just stood there watching them eating like it's their first food in weeks. Suddenly they stop as they here footsteps, it was none other than the knight leader but this time he was accompanied by a pretty maid with beautiful short dark hair.

" Excuse me but the price ask for an audience with the girl. He wishes to speak to you face to face."

Edward leans next to Winry so only she can hear him "That's great! ask him if he can refuel are motorcycle so we can get out of here."

"That would be rude! I'll just see what he wants, he did open his home to us."

Winry then continues talking but in a tone everybody could hear her.

"Fine, I'll go meet the prince now." She stands up from her seat in the couch and walks towards the staircase where the Knight leader is.

The knight leader moved aside letting the maid that was accompanying him take Winry and show her to the Prince's room.

After a few seconds of complete silence Edward finally speaks.

"So we are just suppose to wait here?"

"You are pest that must be cleansed. Stains in the absolute serenity that is this house. Purity, conservation, menopause . These are the only things aloud into this sacred building that's why your under arrest." He then snapped his fingers and multiple knights came rushing in through the front door and circled Edward and Alphonse.

The Elric brother instinctively stand up and get ready for any incoming danger.

" What's the meaning of this!?" Edward.

The Knight Leader draws his sword from his sheath "I told you already, the prince doesn't want you around."

Edward clicked his tongue at that comment and was about to charge into the pack of 13 knights on his own but his brother held his shoulder and moved in close to him before he could do so.

"There to many, you'll get slaughtered. Let's just do as they say for the mean while and think of a counter strategy."

Edward obviously angry but he still managed to calm himself down a bit. They both let their guards down and bent down on their knees.

"HAHA, exactly! Smart choice! Ignorance, stupidity, arthritis. These are things that all of the people who oppose the knights have in common. Seems you at least know better."

After those words the knights handcuffed and took the Elric brothers away.

The Knight leader stood beside a knight and told him in s sharper tone than usual "Make sure they don't have any way of performing alchemy inside the cells, the blonde kid is a state alchemist."

The Knight leader surly saw the state alchemist pocket watch Edward always carries with him and came to that conclusion."

The Elric brother now found themselves in a dark and stench infested hallway, It had the look of a medieval dungeon but it was rather small and only contained 3 prison cells. The elric's where thrown into the last vacant cell left, the one to the left. Still being handcuffed both alchemist fell to the floor.

"Now stay there an rot you pest." The knight underling said as he then laughed and left.

Edward sits upward against the wall.

"Oh great! This is the mess people get into when they talk to strangers! Why couldn't we have followed that simple rule all parents teach their children…"

"Don't worry brother we will find a way out of here."

Then a voice rang out through the cells, it came from the cell in the middle.

"Seems you too where caught state alchemist."

The voice sounded very familiar to Edward.

"Richard!? What are you doing here!?" Edward stood up and ran to the edge of the cell to speak with Richard.

" After I passed you walking when you where driving that motorcycle after a few minutes this strange Knight with a cape came out with this long limo. Making a long story short, A princess apparently saw my dashing good looks and wanted me as her husband so she invited me privately into her room so I entered like t-"

Edward quickly interrupts Richards story to clarify a doubt "Didn't you tell me you had a family? You know ,a WIFE!"

"Yea I know, so?"

"Your just the worst kind…"

Richard not paying attention to that comment continued his story.

"Well get this, the princess was actually a little girl."

The elric brother sang out in unison "WHAT?"

"Exactly, she was like 10 years old."

"S-so you still… you know… had your way with her?" Edward asked.

Ed or Al couldn't see but Richard opened his eyes as widen as he could at that comment.

"I considered it at first but I decided not to. Actually after I stopped having panic attack I stood up and turned tail and ran as fast as I could out of the mansion. Apparently the princess didn't like that gesture of disrespect and told the knights to upper hand me and throw me here."

"That sound just like what happened to us, right now are friend is upstairs talking to the prince." Al clarified.

"You mean with her little brother the prince?"

Yet again the Elric brother in unison sang out " LITTLE BROTHER!?"

"Do you rehearse that or something?" He said as he cross him arms and closed his eyes.

The three of them were handcuffed and their hands are behind their backs and they even checked their bodies for any for they might carry for performing alchemy. A body scan was also done in case they had a alchemic circle drawn in their skin for alchemic use. Even with all this Al nor Ed worried because their secret lied that they could use alchemy without a circle.

The Elric's stood up and Ed gave the order.

"Al let's start the jail break."

With that the Alchemist began their counter attack.


	4. A loving hate part 2

Al took this as the sign to commence. He clapped his hands behind his back and the armor in his arms started to expand to great lengths. His wrist began to expand to a size the handcuffs couldn't bear the strain and broke. He then clapped his hands again and returned to normal. After breaking Edward free and blowing a hole through the cage with their alchemy they proceeded to rescue and release a captured Richard.

An middle aged bald man held in the first cage ran against his cell yelling to save him as well but neither of the three gave him any attention and just left leaving him stranded there.

As they ran up the stairs Edward noticed that Richard was going pretty slow and he was clenching his gut.

_(He pushing himself, he's not even suppose to be standing for a few days)_

Richard gut was pierced by Edward they were before, Richard was supposed to bleed out but Winry supplied him with amateur medical care but it was enough to save his life.

"I don't have my alchemy, the circle in my stomach was destroyed and even further erased by the knights. So I can't be of much use."

"Don't worry, first objective is to find and rescue our friend and then to escape." Edward briefed the plan as they ran the long staircase out of the prison cells.

Then they reached a door but they didn't hesitate and Al kicked it open as he continued to run. They were apparently in a floor above from they were but they still haven't reached the lobby where their where with Winry before.

They were in a long hallway of concrete with torches lighted on the walls used as a source of light. As they ran through they saw a lot of hallways connecting and knights patrolling. They were easily spotted. Knights gathered and gave them chase. They would eventually catch up to Richard who was clearly the slowest due to his wounds. Richard stopped and faced the knights.

Edward stopped and turned to Richard "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WE HAVE TO GO!?"

"I'm only a liability right now, I can't out run them so Ill hold them off here. Trust me." He said not looking back at Ed.

"Bu-"

"GO"

Edward clicked his tongue with his teeth and resume running.

The knights stopped in front of Richard and they drew their respective swords. Richard clenched the fist of his right hand and grabbed his stomach with the other. It looked like a scene of a western movie, the silence and intensity that could be felt in the air before the two men drew their guns. After less than five seconds of silence Richard turn back around and started to run. He decided he was too young to die and so he abandoned that insane plan and resumed running down the hallway but took a hard right in one of the passage ways instead.

* * *

The door came crashing open. The Elric's finally made it back to the lobby.

"Brother upstairs!" Al pointed out to Edward as they continued to run.

"Please don't react like that, I just want to meet you, talk to you, get to know you better." The prince with blond hair and blue eyes told Winry as she looks at him awkwardly.

They were both inside a huge master bedroom with a table set at the side with tea served. The prince was sitting down enjoying tea as Winry was beside the door wondering where's the prince.

Winry looks over to the 8 year old kid sitting on the table "You must be the Prince's little brother! How adorable!" She said like she's talking to a baby in a crib.

"…"

"huh?"

"I'm the prince…"

Her face froze up and she didn't know how to respond. It felt like a second was a minute and a minute was an hour.

(_This kid is really the prince that admired me from a far!? what should I do?_)

She rushed in less than a second to her seat in the table and sat down "You're really the prince?"

"Of course why do you ask?"

" I imagined you where… older." Winry looked at the 8 year boy with resentment.

"oh huhuhuhuh" the boy laughed covering his mouth with one hand "Let me lighten the mood for conversation with some light jazz." He then stood up and went to the music player beside his bed and put in a disk.

Light jazz sang out through the room as he returned to his seat "So tell me about yourself, what your name?" the young prince asked as he took a zip of his tea.

In a moment noticed Winry had over fifty different ways of escaping this moment in her mind

(I can fake my death or maybe jump of the window… Nah to dirty. I can probably just punch him out but that wouldn't be nice. Maybe I can gently let him down, that we are not right for each other, YEAH that would work!)

Winry looked at him and took in a deep breath "Prince-"

"Call me Sebastian" he interrupted.

"Sebastian… It isn't easing easy telling you this, It's not you! it's me… I just think that we-" She continued on with every cliché that she could think of.

* * *

Edward and Alphonse where checking every floor of the building a room at a time and they now reached the fourth floor. As soon as they reached the last floor they heard a door break open and a huge cry that could shatter glass followed it. The Elric's simultaneously look together to the end of the hallway and see a familiar person come out making a mad dash to the stairs. She was running so fast that she left a smoke cloud behind her.

"Heh?" they both had no clue of what happened.

A young boy appeared by the side of the door crying and screaming on the top of his lungs as he wiped the tears of his eyes with his hands.

"YOU BROKE MY HEART AND NOW ILL MAKE YOU PAAAAAAAAAAAAAY" the high pitched scream sounded like nails against a chalkboard.

As Winry reached the Elric brothers Ed with curiosity decided to ask her.

"What did you do to him?"

WInry jogging in the same place answered " I broke up with him hahahah" she laughed.

A certain man outside was talking it easy doing his own thing, it was no other than Richard.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHH" A young boys cry could be heard from the fourth floor.

He looked with no interest to the 4th floor" Eh? wonder what happened?" he tilted his head.

He then decide to focus again on the job at hand. He was trying to hot wire a car to make his daring escape but he was rudely interrupted.

"THERE HE IS! DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE THIS TIME!" The knights shouted out.

When Richard separated from the Elric's he took a different path from them. Luckily the path he took led him to a secret exit way. He ran with all his might through the passageway and up a few stairs leading to a double wooden door like the ones that lead from the basement to the outside of a ranch house. He then locked the wooden doors with a nearby broken tree branch but apparently the Knights final broke out.

"Yes!" He finally finished hot wiring the car.

He stepped on the gas pedal and made a mad dash for it. As he made his way to the courtyard to exit via the gate he noticed Winry, Edward and Alphonse finally make it out of the Mansion but they weren't alone as over two dozen knights followed behind them. When Richard was about to stop to pick them up suddenly a huge object comes from the sky crashing in between them. Richard stomped on the brakes with all his might before he could hit the object.

* * *

From the dust a certain man with a certain cape raised from the dust clouds.

"FOOOOOLS!" You have disturbed the happiness of the Royal Prince! THIS IS CONDEMED WITH DEATH!" The knight leader looked like fire would come out of his helmet.

At this site Richard's face turned completely white and his face looked like he saw a ghost. He then again stomped the accelerator and he instantaneously reach over 50kpr and it kept getting faster. He drived towards the closed gate of the mansion. The gate was one like you would see in a movie, it has two side so it could open outward like a gate of a medieval fortress. Everybody stopped doing what they were doing just to look at the scene.

Richard in mind blowing speed crashed against the huge gate with the car. **BAM! **The car crashed against the gate. The giant gate vibrated, as the car caught fire. It looked like the automobile was sandwitched by a mysterious forced against the gate.

"That idiot…" Edward blurted out.

Suddenly they noticed something through the gaps in the fence gate. A man with red hair came out through the other side of the gate. Apparently his plan was to open a small gap on the gate in the middle so he could crawl out through there. It was a miracle he didn't die from the impact. He was staggered and all off balance like a drunk. It also seemed like his gut wound open up again as he was holding it with one arm as he bleed through the wound. He occasionally fell to the ground but still was making his escape.

"…" The knights look on.

(_He abandoned us…)_ Edward thought.

Then everybody came back to the situation at hand.

Every knight turned their attention to the intruders of their precious mansion as they surrounded them in the courtyard.

"Virtue, respect, segregation. These are the laws that the world revolves around! You pest managed to break all three of them in less than one hour!"

The knight leader prepared for combat but continued speaking

"FOOL! I challenge you to a duel State Alchemist! For the respect of the prince!"

A grin came upon Edwards mouth "I accept!"

Everyone surrounding them dispersed except for a girl.

"She shrugged her shoulders and looked down on the ground cause he couldn't meet his gaze. With a southing soft voice she withdrew with the others.

"Be careful."

The two where about ten meters apart. Edward clapped his hands to create his weapon of choosing, his short blade from his wrist. The knight leader stayed at the opposite side with his sword not drawn yet. Both men stayed in position for a couple of minutes.

The young prince looked on from his room that overlapped the battlefield "HA he won't be able to beat the Knight leader!"

Winry looked onward with a stressful look "What are they doing!? There just standing there like idiots!"

Alphonse looking onward with his arms crossed decide to enlighten his friend "On the contrary, their already fighting. Their having a battle of the minds. They both aren't moving because the other already knows a good counter and vice versa. The first to move is the loser."

Winry looked up at Al and calmed down "oh, I see."

(_He even hasn't drawn his sword yet, I can't move in, he is definitely waiting for me to make the first move. But I can't stay here all day, I'll play it safe and attack from a distance and draw him in) _

Edward claps his hands and slams them against the ground. A shining light comes from under his hands and the ground around him lifts up. Four different ground pillars come shooting out of the floor and towards the Knight leader. The distance between the incoming pillar and Knight leader close in a impressive rate, but as there just centimeters from hitting they are all suddenly cut in half and crash against the left and right side of The knight leader.

Amazement rang out through the spectators.

(_But how? could someone really draw a sword so fast and with that much power!?_) Edward clicked his tongue.

Winry and AL could hear the knights around them talking.

"That's the knight leader for you."

"As strong as ever."

"Lightning fast!"

Knight leader Miles, leader of the last knights was once a General in the Amestris army. For his time in the military he grew to be feared and loved by his companions. He was the only person who could easily beat Alchemist with just a sword and skills. He was known as Quick draw Miles. His draws his sword at lightning fast speed that's not visible to human eyes.

"Fool, I suggest you give up. You have no chance of victory."

"Like hell I will!"

"Then may god take pity on you."

The Knight leader with an impressive speed charged forward towards Edward.

Edward clapped his hands again and tried lifting the ground underneath his opponent so he could trap him inside a small dome. Knight leader jumped high into the sky to evade being trapped, easily 20 feet.

Edward smirked "Got you."

He clapped again and launched a single pillar to the sky to hit The knight leader but this time he was on top of the pillar.

"How foolish!" Knight leader put his sword away and gripped it tightly ready for another quick draw.

Edward clapped again and taped the point of the pillar, It release tiny bullet sized rock pebbles at Miles.

The Knight leader drew his sword again at lightning speed completely destroying the incoming attack.

As one attack ended another commenced. As Knight leader weighted a lot more due to his armor he started to fall fast to the ground so the trajectory of the huge rock pillar missed but that didn't stop Edward.

The state alchemist jumped off the pillar and fell towards Miles. Miles reached the ground first but there was no time to withdraw his sword as a certain state alchemist already reached him.

**CLANG**

Their two weapons clashed. The ground around the Knight leader broke a little, with the momentum of falling that Edward had he easily pushed back the knight leader. He regained footing on the ground to continue his parry with the leader of the Last Knights.

Slashes and blocks rang out, but the clear different in swordsmanship showed. Miles found an opening and brutally kicked Edward in the stomach and send him flying a couple of meters back. He had no time to feel the pain and got back up.

_(Shit, I can't fight him head on and my speed advantage is barely noticeable). _

Edward face looked as calm as ever, his eyes haven't lost the drive to win.

"Edward..." Winry clearly worried for him.

Knight leader completely changes when his in battle. He usually rambles on words and gets annoying after a while but when in combat he barely speaks a word.

Knight leader calmly puts his sword back in its sheet.

"Fool, this next attack will end it all."

Edward expression turned into a smile, it was clear it was a smile of cockiness.

"We'll just see about that."

The leader of the last knight decides to makes the first move again charging in griping the hilt of his sword. As soon Edward sees the knight takes the first step he claps his hands and raises from the ground a dirt cloud to use as smokescreen. The cloud completely cover the battlefield.

"Tsk, I can't see worth a damn" Knight leader muttered to himself.

He might have no vision but he surly hasn't lost faith, he calmly exhales and patiently waits. The dirt clouds is beginning to fade. But before that happened Knight Leader Miles feels a familiar presence. Without wasting a second he draws his sword with imaginable speed. The sound metal breaking could be heard.

(_The dirt makes it hard to see, I drew to early and only got his arm but that should be enough to end this_)

Knight leader thought to himself.

Edward's automail arm was completely destroyed from the fingers to the elbow but Edward expression didn't change the slightest. The dirt in the air isn't is almost all gone and the people's sight could now see them.

Suddenly out of nowhere Edward trust his other arm forward. He has in his human hand the blade from his automail hand.

"Ugh!?" Knight leaders expression changed to that of despair.

"Got you" The State alchemist mutters quietly.

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOP!"

The blade about the hit the Knight leader stopped in place.

Looking from his room the princes face turned completely pale and ran into his room scared.

Both Ed and Miles looked over to their side. They saw a middle age man with blonde short hair coming out of a black car holding the hand of a women dressed as royalty.

Knight leader expression completely changed. He dropped to the ground and bowed to the man.

"IM SORRY!"

Edward dumb strucked didn't know what happened.

"BOW ! You're at the presence of the King!" Miles shouted.

"Heh!?" Edward released the grip of the blade covered in blood because of the tight grip.

"WHAT IS GOING ON! I LEAVE FOR A BUISNESS TRIP AND THE FIRST THING I SEE IS A CAR SLAMMED AGAINST THE MAIN GATE!"

"I-I'm sorry your majesty! The young Prince and Princess wanted certain people to fall in love with them and gave us orders to look for them and bring them over he-"

He was coldly interrupted by the king

"AGAIN!? THEY ALWAYS PULL THIS SAME TRICK WHEN WE GO OUT. I KEEP TELLING YOU TO NOT FOLLOW THOSE ORDERS!" he directs his attention to Edward "LOOK! THIS TIME A POOR KID LOST AN ARM!"

Miles responds swiftly "But my King, with all due respect it still better losing an arm than what happen to that poor kid a week ago."

The king looks like he's about to rip his hair out.

"BRING ME THOSE KIDS!"

* * *

After a couple of minute the ruckus that was consuming the air finally started to fade. Edward, Winry and Al where all sitting in the furniture on the lobby with the king. During the past thirty minutes work around the mansion was being done and they even managed to scrap the broken parts of Edward's arm and return them to Winry. Edward also covered his broken arm with his red jacket so it would look less gross.

The king looked like he finally calmed down but seems it cost him half his hair.

"Say it again…"

"But dad we said it over 200 times!"

"AGAIN!"

"IM SORRY!" the young prince and princess told Edward, Alphonse and Winry.

A Knight came from the door that lead to the dungeon and approached the King sitting next to the alchemist sitting on the lobby furniture.

"My king, we have released the prisoner in the prison cells."

"Good work, now remind me to take down the dungeon. That thing is as old as air. I don't even remember why we had it build in the first place.

" If I recall correctly it was constructed in case we had to use plan Delta on your wife."

The king looks up and taps his chin with his index finger "Oh yea, plan Delta… Ha good old plan delta." The king then crashes back to reality and shrugs his head "I mean take it down, it's useless."

"WHAT? Don't dad!" the young royalty shouted.

"KEEP APOLIGINZING!"

"IM SORRY!" they bowed towards Ed al Edward tried to stop them.

The king turns toward Edward and his friends "I'm sure you can find it in your hearts to forgive us, we have prepared a limo to take you to your destination and we will gladly give you more than enough money in return so you could get your auto mail fixed."

Edward scratches his head "Haha thanks but we brought with us a motorcycle so we can't just leave it here."

"Don't worry, preparations have been made and we will transport it as well. We also refueled it for you."

Al stood up "Then we would like to make our departure as soon as possible"

"Very well, let me call over your driver" The king then clapped his hands and the door to the mansion.

"HIM!?" The Elric gang shouted.

A completely armored knight with a royal cape came into the mansion. This time he also was wearing a chofer cap on top of his helmet.

"FOOL! Don't look at me with those eyes! I'm here to serve you this time and I WILL NOT FAIL. The king thought me something important when he arrived moments ago. Solidarity, discipline, ovulation. Those are things I will hold dear to me from this moment on!"

"When did I say that?"

"You told me those things from your special glare my lord, words were not needed."

"You could tell just from my glare!?" A moment of silence was heard. "EXACLY! THIS IS WHY YOU'RE MY KNIGHT LEADER!"

The king then stood up and ran towards the leader of the last knights as the Knight leader did the same.

"Knight!"

"King!"

They passionately cried out till they reached each other and hugged.

The rest just stood sitting down on the couch glaring with a disturbed look on them, they all thought the same thing.

(_When I thought there was someone normal in this house…)_

The Elric group stood up and went out side as they hugged. When they exited the King and knight leader stopped hugging and stood beside each other.

"You where about to lose Knight leader."

"Its probably the old age that's getting to me."

"It looks like the new generation is starting to surpass the old one."

" It seems so, then our job now is to just guide them down the right path."

"That's all old people are good for anyway."

Knight leader chuckles "Then ill be on my way." He walks off as The king looks onward.

After a couple of minutes they were ready, the limo was loaded with any items the Elric's and the auto mail enthusiast might have. The knight leader has already turned the car on and they got their final goodbyes from the people of the mansion. The knights saluted them, the king and queen waved good bye and the Royal kids were still bowing saying sorry. They exited through the same gate Richard crashed his car into. With that they continued their journey to central where a certain flame alchemist awaited them.

* * *

**Colonel Mustang: HEY! What's the meaning of this? I thought you were going to give me more screen time!?**

**Raisingfalcon: I never promised no such thing. I only said you would get the first scene.**

**Colonel Mustang: I feel embarrassed to take part in this story, If you won't give me the respect I deserve them I'll just have to take it! *Mustang puts his flame alchemy glove on***

**Raisingfalcon: *nervous* N-No need for that hey just calm down.**

**Riza Hawkeye: You better run.**

***Mustang about to snap his fingers***

**Raisingfalcon: Oh well look at the time! This is the end of this chapter so bye for now!**

***snap* **

**BOOM**


	5. Reunion

**Mustang walks online the smoke and grabs the pen used by the deceased person.**

**Mustang: Now this is going to get interesting. *he smirks***

* * *

It was 6pm and they finally reached Central city. The sun is starting to go down on a very awkward day. The State Alchemist that goes by the name of Full metal had fought to hard battles in less than twelve hours. One was at morning in an abandon town where he faced an alchemist that can harden his body. He lucky befriended that alchemist that went by the name of Richard. The next battle was vs. an extraordinary Knight that was the leader of the last knights. He was known as Quick draw miles or Knight leader. He was a lot tougher as Edward even lost half of his auto mail arm facing him.

"We finally made it! I can finally get of this car and stretch my back!" Winry said sounding relieved.

"We might of made it but we still have a long way to go" Knight leader added in.

Edward scratched his head "What's this we stuff?"

"FOOL! I am your chofer! This comes with responsibilities like loyalty, solidarity, disembowelment. You tell me where we need to go and ill drive there without complaint!" he bumped his chest with a fist.

"Well right now we have two objectives: One is to inform Colonel mustang of our arrival and the second is to fix your arm big brother."

"Well there's a good automail shop just ahead" Winry pointed out with her finger. "Maybe it would be best to leave Ed and me there while you go and inform that Mustang guy of our arrival. We should meet back up in central hotel."

As Al is about to talk Knight leader completely cuts him off.

"Well its settled! We will inform the Mustard guy of our arrival while you fix that kids arm!"

"There you go again with the we thi-"

Edward is now the one getting interrupted by knight leader.

"Oh look we made it!" The car abrutly stops shaking everyone in the vehicle.

Edward expression is clearly noticeable that he is irritated. He waste no time in getting of the car and slamming the door shut. Winry a lot more calmly gets of her seat as well and exits the vehicle.

"The nerve of that guy…"

"Just ignore him" Winry's thoughts became mouth drooling " We need to buy; precious, expensive, totally awesome auto mail parts!"

She then raced into the store leaving Edward behind as he scratched his head.

* * *

Knight leader and Alphonse finally made it to Central HQ luckily upon their arrival they came across Lt. Riza Hawkeye. She was Colonel Mustangs most reliable soldier. Riza was nice enough to take them to see the Colonel, the man behind this long annoying trip.

The door opens to Mustangs private quarters in HQ.

"Sir you have some expected visitors."

"Ah yes, tell her the keys are under the mat outside my apartment, I'll be there soon." The Colonel said as he is putting the finishing touches on his house of cards.

" By visitors I meant Alphonse Elric and another strange gentlemen."

"Wha? Oh! Fullmetals brother! Let him in."

Hawkeye raises an eyebrow "And who is this her you where talking about!?"

Mustangs shoulder jumps and sweat bullets start dropping from his face.

"Oh she… She's an interior designer who's coming to um… re-do my apartment!"

"Sure she is…"

Riza moves from the door letting the other 2 people entered.

Alphonse entered first.

"Mustang we came to inform you that Edward will be ready for tomorrow. Can you please move the reevaluation back a day?"

"To be honest here, due to the train incident, Fullmetals reevaluation was moved back a week. We tried to call you but you guys already left."

Alphonse didn't know what to say. He just standing there with a blank look in his face.

"Maybe we shouldn't tell this to my brother?"

"Agreed" Mustang and Hawkeye said in unison.

Then after their agreement the man accompanying Alphonse entered the room. He was the knight leader for the last knights. The only knight regiment in existence.

The knight looks oddly at the man sitting at the other side of the room in his desk.

Mustang casually gets up from his seat and walks beside his desk without tumbling his house of cards or his pile of paper work.

He randomly extends his arms "Knight leader! Long time no see!"

"Roy! Who would of thought you would be this Mustard character!"

"You two know each other? From where?" Riza is puzzled.

They both laughed as Roy shrugged of the question "Please"

* * *

Winry and Edward found themselves inside an auto mail shop in Central City. They weren't many auto mail shops in an alchemy city like this so its product must be pretty good to stay open so many years. it would be wrong to say they both where shopping because Edward was just carrying everything Winry wanted to buy as she looked with big eyes and a smile that went from corner to corner at the auto mail parts.

"I want this and this and…" Winry suddenly in the mist of her auto mail fanaticism she stopped "They have the new GL2000 Cover Piece! AHHH" She yelled a scream of excitement.

Edward and Winry speak the same language but Ed couldn't understand a single word that came out of Winry's mouth when she was on auto mail mode.

Putting both hand behind his head "What's so great about it? Isn't it just another auto mail piece? You just put it on and you never know when it's going to break down on you."

Suddenly Winry's head falls upon Edwards shoulder catching him off guard "Huh? what's wrong?

"Put… break… What are you going to do after the reevaluation?"

Edward scratches his head with one arm as he holds Winry by the waste with the other.

"Uhh, I'll probably leave and keep on working on som-"

Winry abruptly raises her head.

"LEAVE? AGAIN?"

"Wha-"

"You always leave on your stupid adventures for months and never call the house to know how me and grandma are doing! I only see you when you're stupid automail breaks! I…"

Winry takes a step back before continuing.

Her tone of voice lowers considerably "I… purposely install fragile auto mail on you… So when it breaks I can see you again."

Time stood still, nothing could be heard between the two for a moment.

"Aren't you mad?"

"Mad? why?"

Winry's eyes shoot widely open as she looked at Edward as he smiles. It wasn't the reaction she expected.

"I've always thought about the house everyday I'm not in it. About the dog… Gramps… and you."

Edward embraces Winry as he continues.

"I promise I won't leave as much." He then chuckles a bit " Al and me actually bought all of us a paid weekend in a resort to the west of Central. It was suppose to be a surprise but I guess this is as good a time as ever."

Her eyes suddenly started to cry tears of joy "Really!?"

"Yeah, we wanted to make it up to you two for taking great care of us these many years."

Silance fell between the two, Edward got closer and closer to Winry. The only thing separating their lips was a thin margin as thick as a pencil.

Winry pushes Edward off as excitement ran through her entire body " A RESORT! YIPPY! There's going to be everything! Spa, in room meals, Xtreme under water basket weaving! Yeah!"

She then hugs Edward and goes off to buy more Auto mail parts leaving Edward where he stands. The Store clerk was standing a couple of feet behind them in the store counter.

"Haha! You should of mention the resort later." he laughed.

* * *

After awhile and the auto mail has been purchased Edward and Winry found themselves at their meeting place with knight leader and Al, Central hotel. They where currently inside one of the 2 rooms rented, the room had a classical feel to it. There were 2 twin size beds divided by a night table and a couch, there was also a mini fridge at the side and a small bathroom. It wasn't the best room but it had to do for just 1 day.

Edward was laying on top of a bed with his arm on the night table as Winry was sitting on a chair working on the auto mail.

"I hope this isn't cheap auto mail that will break easily hehe" he chuckles.

" Whatever, you're the one that paid for it…"

"…Don't remind me, either way even if it was good auto mail it would of broken either way against knight leader."

"Are you criticizing my art!?" She then abruptly wrenches a bolt on Ed's auto mail causing him pain.

"AH! Uncle, uncle!"

As they fought against each other the door slammed open and a certain knight entered through it in a heroic posture with his arms on his hips.

"Did I hear my name!?"

Edward and Winry look over in confusion.

"Not exactly."

Knight Leader lowers his arms "Oh, sorry then."

From behind Alphonse entered the room.

" Where back" He said with a charming attitude.

Edward turns his attention towards his brother "So what did your talk with that tool come down to?"

"Weeeeeell" Sweet drops ran down Alphonse face even though he's in a metal body "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"?"

Yet another person entered the room, he was accompanied by blonde hair woman wearing a blue military uniform, she was Lt. Riza Hawkeye. The man with her couldn't be none other than Edwards superior officer, Colonel Roy Mustang.

He looks towards the bed where Edward lay "Well, well, well, If it isn't a little girl with her friend Winry.

Edward clearly disliked seeing Mustangs presence, if he could he would of taken this change to jump on him and give him a good beating for making him go through that insane trip.

"What are you doing here!? Winry quick kill him!"Edward ordered as Winry didn't follow his instructions.

"Hold on little man, I came to pay you a visit, I heard my little friend had a big bubu on his auto mail arm and I just came to check on him" he said with a sarcastic tone.

"Why don't you take your fake sympathy and go jump off a cliff…"

"That actually a refreshing idea, I wouldn't have to see that ugly face of yours anymore."

"What? I quite couldn't catch that, can you come a little closer so I can punch your face in!"

Edward and Mustang at this point are clearly losing their cool as they continue barking at each other.

"Oh real mature! What are you five? Wait, scratch that you actually look five."

"Who are you calling small you filthy communist!"

"WHAT? Want me to break your other arm as well so you have a matching set!?"

The rest of the group around them disturbingly smile at the two as they keep up with the insult.

Suddenly a long rang resounded through the room. Smoke raised from the barrel of Riza's pistol. She shot the pistol out the window but the noise still was enough to silence the room.

"You two bicker like an old married couple… Now Colonel just tell the other reason you came here."

Mustang then regain his calm composure as he puts his hand behind his back and continued on.

"… Well I also came here to notify the status of your reevaluation. It's been set for tomorrow, you will face a State Alchemist of my choosing."

"Who is it?" Ed questioned.

"Good of you to ask, I asked him to meet me here so I could introduce you to him personally."

After he finished his sentence, they could hear faint footsteps from outside the room.

"Talk about the devil, here he comes now."

As the footsteps got louder a certain man walked into the room. He was the man Edward would be facing tomorrow. He has a big man with red hair wearing the standard military uniform Hawkeye and Mustang had on.

It was Richard, the same guy Edward faced when they were at the ghost town.

"EHH! It's you!" Winry, Ed, Al and Richard yelled as they pointed out.

Mustang raised an eye brow as he didn't know what was happening.

Edward stood from the bed causing the unfinished pieces of the auto mail to fall on the floor "You're a State Alchemist!?"

"Ye-yeah, I'm the Iron skin alchemist, Richard" he pointed to himself.

"Do you two know each other?" Mustang is clearly puzzled.

"I beat him earlier today in the abandoned town at the outskirts of central."

Mustang started waving his hands in front if himself " No that can't be, Richard used his one month vacation time to go out with his family."

Edward then stares to Richard glaring daggers into his heart "Your just the worst kind…"

Richard was at this point leaning towards the door to make a mad dash but Riza cut him off.

"Is that true? What where you really doing?"

Richard gives up and lowers his head "You caught me… I can't tell a lie. I was in a homeless shelter feeding stray cats."

A wrench out of nowhere hits Richard square in the head making him collapse.

"Oh come on!" Winry stands from her chair after throwing the wrench. "He was wasting his month fighting for his hometown. Unlucky for him we came through and ruined his plans, in the process Edward beat him. He was the one who destroyed the train tracks and was even plotting against Amestris!"

"Ow!" Richard puts his hand where the wrench hit trying to alleviate the pain.

Mustang turns to Richard.

"Richard… I can understand trying to destroy Amestris, but losing to Full metal! I want your resignation papers tomorrow on my desk."

Richard gets up from the floor and heads to the exit while muttering something "Man… Today is just not my day."

Richard left the room and they returned to the subject at hand.

Roy Mustang puts his hand on his chin while profoundly speaking "Hmm, It will be troublesome finding someone at the last moment."

"Then why don't you fight me yourself."

Those words rang out through the room, everybody gasp. Edward Elric didn't know what he just said. To anybody who knew Mustang combat ability it would be common knowledge that spitting out those words where and indirect way of suicide. But it was different, Edward clearly knew what he was saying. He better anyone knew how dangerous Mustang can really be, but he didn't care.

"I accept"

"fool" Knight leader whispered, not to mustang but to Edward.

The Colonel did nothing more than to put his hands in his pocket as he smirked "The reevaluation will be tomorrow at noon in the Central HQ battle ground. I will be looking forward to your funeral, Full metal."

Despite Mustangs tone of voice the expression he had way that of amusement or somewhat joy. Without saying anything else he left the room.

"Man, he really irritates me." Ed crosses his arms even though one of them is mostly torn apart.

The blonde Lt. smiles "He always shows a different side of himself when his face to face with you Edward. Despite his general attitude towards you, he always seems more lively around you." She chuckles a bit before continuing "He hates doing paper work but the little bit he does is always relate to you, he just too stubborn to admit he likes having you around."

The State Alchemist eyes widen as he's left speechless. Without a word he lays back down on the bed.

Hawkeye is about to leave but stops at the door before exiting "Thank you" her last words before leaving.

"Heh, Now I'm excited!" Edward clenched his fist. "Will this take long Winry?"

"No, What usually takes time is fabricating original pieces for your auto mail We just skipped that phase and bought you some auto mail piece that should be somewhat compatible with the auto mail I made, but be cautious, the auto mail won't be at 100% due to the pieces not being genuine parts of my auto mail" Winry said as she is concentrates her focus again on Edwards auto mail.

"Now this is true Knighthood! Sentiments, tough love, state taxes. What you and mustard have is a true bond!" Knight leader said as he raised his fist high in the air.

"Well they share one strange bond" Al added.

"Sometimes people who are polar opposite are completely compatible for each other as they cover each other faults."

Knight leader and Al then look towards Winry and Ed that are again arguing over small things.

"Well I guess I'll be going to my room, bye." Al then took his leave.

"heh? But there's only 2 rooms, so with who am I going to sleep?" Edward head creeks to the side to stare at a certain knight.

"Yo" The knight said making as peace sign.

"AHHH!"

* * *

The day ended with a scream that reached the heavens. Now the final curtain is about to open, it's time to go big or go home.

Its noon of the next day and the State alchemist known as Edward Elric finally arrived at the Central HQ battle ground. A bright sunny day with a gentle breeze. The battlefield is set, a huge amount of space just outside the HQ where it's usually used for Amestrian Central soldiers to maintain in shape by obstacle courses, training drills or a battle ground for duels, in other words State alchemist battles. From the huge space they would only be using a small portion of the place, around roughly the size of a football field just with dirt instead of grass.

Edward was in the middle ready as his eyes glimpse over a man that was making his way over the battlefield, Colonel Roy Mustang.


	6. The battle begins

It was noon in a sunny and breeze day. The nice sight that presented the day clearly didn't match the tense atmosphere that went along with it. Edward was in the middle of the football sized arena as he watched Roy Mustang being accompanied by Lt. Riza Hawkeye. Edward clearly wasn't alone as his friends and companions watch from the side lines.

Mustang and Hawkeye stopped before the Colonel could entered the soon to be battlefield. They exchanged words that couldn't be heard by anyone. Their words can't be heard but their expressions could surly be seen. It wasn't clear but Hawkeye look a bit unease on what was about to unfold but truth be told, everyone that wasn't Roy or Edward where nervous at the sight. On the other hand The two alchemist that where soon to engage in battle looked like they were exited but serious at the same time.

Mustang was taking his first steps into the boundaries that where their battlefield " Well, well, well Fullmetal, seems you made it."

"Heh, I wasn't going to miss an opportunity to finally kick your ass and be able to get away with it."

"How cute, and I suppose you also rode here on your magical unicorn? Get real…" he said as he stopped in his spot.

In a state alchemist duel there is always a sort of referee that watches over the match. He doesn't necessarily where a black and white stripe T-shirt but he maintains order in the chaos that will be the match. He only intervenes if a fatal blow is about to be hit. He also prevents the match from going over the boundaries. Before a duel he checks each state alchemist to see if they're not holding any tool or instrument that could give them a certain edge. With this rule Mustang can't keep more alchemic gloves hidden and can only enter the battle with those he has on at the moment.

The man that will play the role of referee is none other than a fellow state alchemist Alex Louis Armstrong

"Are you gentlemen's ready?" He said from the side of the perimeter line for the battle arena flexing his muscle before tearing his clothes off.

"I hope Edward comes out victorious" Winry worried.

The woman accompanying Mustang makes her way to where Edwards friends are watching from the sidelines " Let's just hope he comes out at all"

"What are you saying?" turning her attention to Riza.

"Mustang has never lost a battle, the only person able to beat Mustang is water"

Knight leader crosses his arms "Mustang is undoubtedly the strongest State Alchemist in history, I know that for a fact. He surly is a person that would wear the name of the Knight proudly."

"My brother will surly come out victorious. He didn't come into this blind, he came prepared."

* * *

Their distance was approximately 50 meters.

"Begin" Armstrong gave the sign to begin the battle.

A soon as the match begins Mustang already snapped his fingers. A huge fire wall surrounding the entire perimeter of the battle ground was created, It was easily 15 feet tall.

"Welcome to hell fullmetal!" Mustang smirked.

Edward wasn't impressed or scared but he still looked around at the fire wall, It was clearly something he wasn't expecting.

Edward then claps his hands and creates a spear from the resources provided from the ground. Mustang also acts at the sound and casually takes off his right hand alchemy glove and puts it away in his uniform.

"I'll gut you like a goat!" Edward grinned.

"You shouldn't talk big when you know you're going to lose fullmetal" Mustang said as he slightly raises his left hand.

When Edward started his dash towards his opponent. Mustang at that instant started to snap his left hand fingers repeatedly. Explosions rang out from behind Edward as he proceeded his dash towards his opponent. It seems Edward was out running the explosion but that was false. Mustang was intentionally putting the blast behind Ed in a way of mocking him.

Edward was finally in range.

"Take this!" Edward throws the spear at Mustang as he then claps his arms to create a short blade from his auto mail arm, his favorite weapon.

Mustang without hesitating side stepped the trajectory of the spear and grabbed it with his right arm, he spun around as he spins the spear to block and incoming attack from Edward. Edward was probably the fastest state alchemist around so reaching mustang that fast wasn't surprising to the Colonel.

Edward didn't waver, he continued his assault with a relentless amount of attacks from with short blade. Mustang didn't relay too much on close quarters combat but that doesn't mean he didn't know who to fight in close range. Mustang skillfully parried Edwards attack with the spear and even managed to find an opening.

The flame alchemist kicked Edwards knee displacing his stance and balance for a short moment. In this opening Mustang grabbed the spear horizontally and smashed it against Edwards face and then kicking him in the gut sending him flying a few feet away.

Edward spins around a little in the floor trying to make distance from his opponent but Mustang didn't want to give him time to recuperate. When he noticed Mustang already chucked the remaining part of the spear toward Edward, it was clearly heading for his head. There wasn't enough time to block or dodge.

"SHIT!" Edward thought to himself as his eyes widened.

Suddenly the spear thrown busted into flames and fell to the ground right beside him.

"Is that all your worth fullmetal? I don't want this to end so soon so I'm even helping you beat me, yeah, that's how pathetic you are right now" He grinned.

"Shit…" Edward muttered on the floor as he cleaned the blood dripping from his nose.

During their battle Alphonse used his own alchemy to elevate the ground they were in so they could see the battle from above.

"The difference in skill is clearly noticeable" Knight leader said from the sidelines.

"Mustang has never been beaten, Edward should of known this" Hawkeye added in.

" Edward knew that, but he wanted to fight Mustang either way. For him this isn't a match of superiority, revenge or the reevaluation. This is a match far beyond that and both of them know it." Winry said sweating a little due to the heat of the fire walls.

Roy crossed his arms "Maybe I should end this now and get back to work. The first thing I would do is fill in your resignation for being a state alchemist."

"Shit, Shit, shit, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, SHIIIIIT" Edward voice escalated as he got up on one knew and clapped his hands together.

"oh?"

4 earth streams as thick as a vans tire came out of the ground and circled Edward as they then went forward against Mustang.

Mustang again snapped his finger to detonate one of the earth stream. Another one was about to hit him but he jumped upwards as it collided with the ground. Mustang landed on top of the Earth stream as he ran above it. The third stream divided into 4 smaller streams all headed towards the Colonel but from a short snap from his finger tips the sky turned bright orange as a single explosion destroyed the incoming attack.

The flame alchemist finally looked like he let his guard down after that attack but all he did was grin. The last earth stream was headed toward mustang from above, but Mustang didn't move. All he did was snap his fingers. An enormous flame cannon roared from inform of mustang towards Edward. All he could do to defend himself was use the earth to make a dome around himself to block. The blast completely destroyed the entire area where Edward was. Black smoke raised from where Edward was standing, it looked like a missile crashed there.

The last stream crumbled away before hitting Mustang, small earth chunks rained down on him.

"tsk" he clicked his tongue.

When the smoked cleared Edward was nowhere to be found. It looked like he disintegrated.

" So you escaped underground Fullmetal. Scared?"

The situation was dire and everyone knew that. Even Knight leader, the goofiest of them all was as serious as ever. Even his tone of voice has changed to one a lot more serious.

Knight leader crossed his arms " Mustang and me where always on par with each other so I thought like that Ed kid beat me he would have a good shot versus Mustang. But… but this is overwhelming."

"Edward…" Winry said timidly as she mourned for him.

"I wasn't really expecting another outcome but Mustang took it to far." Riza Hawkeye exclaimed.

"I believe in my brother, I know he will pull through."

"I won't let you hide Fullmetal" He then smirked and prepared his hand.

Mustang started to repeatedly snap his fingers, consecutive explosions rang out through the battlefield. He was intending on destroying the ground till he reaches Edwards hiding place. Mustang looked like a conductor of a symphony, elegantly and fluidly snapping and moving his left hand as the flames raged in front of him.

He stopped for a moment " I actually thought this would be interesting but I was wrong, doesn't surprise me coming from a shrimp like you" he said to himself.

But suddenly.

"DON'T CALL ME SHORT!" Edward's voice shouted out but not in front of Mustang but from behind.

"EDWARD!" Everyone on the sideline except Riza yelled out.

"So you finally decided to come out and play!?" Mustang turned backwards as he stood on top of the earth stream.

He was grinning at the sudden turn of events but that all changed. Edward propelled himself upwards using an earth pillar but that wasn't what shocked the Colonel. What shocked him was what he had in his hands, it was a bucket made of earth filled with water.

"Huh!?" Roy desperately tried to snap his fingers but it was to late.

Edward chucked the bucket on Mustang soaking him completely. Mustang snapped his fingers but nothing happened. What was in front of him right now was a full on attack mode Edward Elric, with one devastating punch Mustang fell backwards as he descended from the sky. He crashed with an earth stream a little bit lower from where he was standing before crashing on the ground.

* * *

"Edward wasn't just needlessly attacking but provoking Mustang to use a big attack so he could sneak underground" Alphonse clarified.

"What a knightful performance!" Knight leader shouted.

"How did he get that water?" Riza Hawkeyed questioned with a puzzled face.

"Brother didn't waste his time yesterday after getting his arm fixed, he actually went to the library and other places to check something."

"What did he check?"

"He had a theory but he had to check it out first and I helped him. There are something's called underground springs where water collects after various time, there basically big natural reserves of water that form underground after various time passes."

"So he wanted to check if they were any nearby?"

"He knew he couldn't beat Mustang straight on so he checked and to his luck there is actually a small reserve right under the HQ. He just used alchemy to dig down there and get some water to spray It on Mustang."

"He's never good when he's wet…" Hawkeye then redirected his sights on the battlefield.

* * *

Mustang's body was hurting all over after that fall but he tried to ignore the pain and get up. Edward jumped down via the earth streams and dropped kick Mustang as he reached the floor. Mustang flew back a few feet.

"ARRGH" Mustang shouted.

As he got back up he immediately got out his right hand alchemy glove from his uniform that he took off when the match started. Before he knew it Edward was already in front of him.

"Now this is getting interesting" Edward grinned.

He clapped his hands and again revealed his short blade from his auto mail. He quickly slashed the glove into 2 pieces.

"Cra-" Mustang couldn't finish his word as Edward again punched him in the face.

Mustang was a little thrown off with the sudden counter attack so he couldn't properly defend himself. Edward and Mustang started slugging this off with fists. It seemed Edward had a clear advantage for the moment and even getting it a few cuts with his blade on Mustang. He cut his abdomen, lower foot and shoulder. Mustang couldn't properly defend himself knowing Edward had a weapon so his defense was a bit sluggish.

Blood oozed from Mustangs nose as his cheeks started to turn red showing the intensity in Edwards punches. Edward wasn't all roses and gum drops either, he was cut in most visible parts of his body dripping little blood but he was surly injured.

There brawl continued on and Mustang was on the losing end. Blow after blow the match was reaching its end. A fatal mistake was committed that will surly but an end to the battle these two warriors found themselves in. Mustang was defending himself and moving backwards at the same time but he didn't noticed something. He was walking through one of the earth streams previously controlled by his opponent that crashed against the floor. He tripped. Mustang abruptly fell to the ground.

Glooming over his fallen opponent "Its seems its over Mustang, I win" Edward prepared his short blade.

The funny thing was that Mustang wasn't showing a face of sorrow or remorse but of contempt. He suddenly let out a grin that bothered Edward.

"What's with that face!?" Edward got ticked and attack.

The blade came down on Mustang.

**BOOM**

Edward flew a few feet backward.

"AHHHHH" Ed was clinching to his stomach.

A fire blast hit Edward.

"Well, well, well Fullmetal. Seems you got over confident with yourself."

Ed coughs blood "Shit, I wasn't fast enough"

"What happened!? Wasn't Mustangs glove wet!?" Winry quickly questioned.

"Look around you, the entire perimeter of the arena is set on fire." Hawkeye answered.

"Due to the intense heat created by the wall of flames the glove quickly dried off and Mustang could again use his flame alchemy." Knight leader added.

"This battle between Mustang and Ed started even before the bell rang. They each had a game plan and the one to outsmart the other would win. This wasn't a battle of brawns but of brains." Alphonse added.

Edward got back up.

Mustang moved back almost at the margin of the battle field, putting some good distance between them. The intense flames of the fire wall where right behind him. They separated almost 30 feet.

"I can't lose here, after all I went through. I WILL NOT LOSE!"

A completely battered and destroyed Edward ran towards his opponent. At this moment Edward wasn't even seeing correctly, to him Mustang looked like this huge unsurpassable being just looming above him but he was dead serious of breaking that illusion.

"MUSTANG!" Edward march on.

"FULLMETAL!"

The flame alchemist snaps his fingers and an explosion rang out in front of Edward. Dust and dirt flew into the air.

From the flames Edward jumped off and continued his way towards Mustang. Completely battered and destroyed that only one more shot would do him in but he still pushed on.

"AHHH" he yelled as he ran.

It only took one more snap to completely beat Edward. Edward was getting to close for comfort, but Mustang didn't react. He could of finished it but he just stood there.

Mustang faintly smiled.

"MUUUUUUUSTANG!" Edward yelled as he punched his superior officer straight in the face with his normal hand.

Everybody watched in awe.

The punch could be heard colliding with his face. Mustang's feet left the ground as he went straight though the wall if fire. When Mustang crashed against the wall made of fire the flames surrounding the entire arena fell to the ground as glass shattering.

Silence surrounded the entire atmosphere. Nobody dared to say anything.

Alex Armstrong was amazed of what he witness. He raised his arm and then pointed it towards Ed.

"The winner of the match is Edward Elric"

* * *

**Well this was the semi final chapter before the story ends. The next chapter will be the last chapter of this story, I think it wont be that long. its just to kinda tell the aftermath of the battle. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as I did writting it.**


	7. Aftermath

**Well, this is the last chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Alex Armstrong was amazed of what he witness. He raised his arm and then pointed it towards Ed.

"The winner of the match is Edward Elric"

Edward finally did it. With one punch he put Mustang on the floor, the rest of the Elric gang watch from an ascended height that Al created so they could see from above the walls of flame that Mustang created in the battle. They were all speechless, why wouldn't they? A teenage boy just laid out the strongest State alchemist Central HQ had to offer.

"He did it? He did it!" Alphonse yelled out.

"Edward! I knew you could do it, I didn't have a doubt in my heart!" Winry also yelled before getting hugged by Al.

They were all celebrating Edwards victory apart from two people.

"So you noticed?" Knight leader asked Lt. Hawkeye as they were the only ones not jumping around.

"I'm not Hawkeye for nothing, Mustang really impressed me."

"It might not look it but they both won in this fight" Knight leader then looked at Al "You can lower the ground now."

"Sure thing!" he said will carrying Winry with only one hand.

Mustang laid on the ground while facing the blue sky. Anybody looking up at the same sky wouldn't imagine that a battle like that had just taken place.

Edward walks towards in front of the Colonel but remains silent.

"Seems you beat me Fullmetal" he said as he continued to watch the sky.

" Why did you let me win?"

"We might not look eye to eye on many things and I know you get irritated by my actions towards you, but… but you're a subordinate I don't want to lose."

Edward extended his arm towards his superior officer "Thank you"

Mustang smirked "Why are you apologizing? I thought you couldn't stand me" He then gabbed Edwards arm.

Edward helps Mustang get up from the ground and then supports him on his shoulder " That's not true. Truth be told part of the reason I get annoyed by you is because of your success."

"My success?"

"Yeah, your widely respected and important. When I look at you I can't help but get a bit jealous."

"Hah, jealous? Your too young to be worrying about things like that, you should enjoy yourself and have fun. If anyone should be jealous it should be me."

Edward looked towards Winry, Al, Riza, Armstrong and Knight leader. They started walking towards their friends that were also making their way towards them.

Mustang continued "Your half my age and your already a state alchemist with a big reputation. In 10 years you'll be my superior." he chuckles.

"I don't think so, I think I like being your subordinate Colonel. I think I'll be fine just being the pillar that supports you as you make the rank of Fuhrer. I'm no good in a leadership role anyways."

" Thank you, Edward."

They both smile at each other as they finally reach their friends that are excited for Ed. They all surrounded Mustang and Edward like a paparazzi to a Hollywood star.

"You won Brother!"

"Knightful show"

Winry hugs Edward "I'm glad you're safe."

Edward lets go of Mustang to hug Winry but Riza Hawkeye catches him before he falls.

"So when are we going on that vacation?" Winry asked Edward while being around his arms.

"I don't know, I'll have to ask Mustang when can I take some time off."

Mustang passes by Edward being carried by Lt. Riza "Never."

"Now I'm sad…"

Alex Armstrong walks to Edward "Congratulations Edward Elric your still a certified state alchemist!" He said those words with such intensity that his biceps shined brighter than ever.

This wasn't just a great moment because Edward passed his reevaluation but for a greater reason. His superior officer and him finally understand each other. Some people might call it friendship and other a brother type relationship. But what was truly at war in that battle was their understanding for each other.

"FOOLS! We should celebrated this fabulous occasion with… LUNCH! No serious I'm hungry." Knight leader proposed.

**BRRG** Edwards and Mustangs stomach rumbles.

"Yeah us too" Ed added as he scratched his head with one hand smiling.

Mustang finally stood on his own to feet and pointed forward "Well let's go!"

"…" Nobody moved.

"What?"

"Before we go I think you and Edward should go clean up a bit" Hawkeye said it the kindest way she could.

Edward and Mustang look at each other with blank expressions. There both bloodied up, clothes torn and muscles shredded. They looked like they came out of a bar fight.

"Yeah, we will be right back" They said to get a little cleaned up.

Some time has passed and they finally went to eat. Edward, Mustang, Armstrong, Winry, Hawkeye, Knight leader and Alphonse decided to go to a family restaurant for certain reasons. They finally enter and are quickly seated in a table for eight but there seven so it's ok.

"Your waiter will be here shortly" A kind young attractive blonde woman said.

Knight leader observed the nice and gentle layout of the establishment. "Great service, compelling atmosphere, racism. These are the factors for a great restaurant!"

"What this place is missing are the beauty and embrace of strong biceps!" Alex Louis Armstrong said towards Knight leader.

" Fool! What this is really missing is the knights legendary symbol on one of these walls."

"With a bicep next to it!"

"Exactly! The biceps of Knighthood!"

Meanwhile

" Well we lost them" Alphonse looks at them as they kept talking about knights with biceps.

The waiter finally arrived, a red haired young tall man with a strong body.

"Here is the menu, the special of the day is-"

The young man stopped talking. It was a very awkward moment.

"Richard?" They all said in unison.

Yes, it was Richard. The same Richard that tried to kill Edward in that ghost town, the same Richard that bailed on the Elrics and the same Richard that was fired by Mustang for a silly reason.

"So you already found a job, that's nice." Mustang said.

"Yeah… nice…" He said with disgusted tone.

"Can you bring some water? We are all a bit thirsty" Winry asked politely.

"Sure… I'll be right back." Richard left to get the water.

Mustang gets comfortable in his seat "I think we should leave, He's totally going to spit in the water and food."

"Yeah I agree" Let's get out of here." Edward added as they all got up and left.

* * *

**This concludes the story An Unexpected Phone Call, it was great writing it. Im currently doing another FMA story called United We Stand incase anyones intrested. Thanks for reading the entire story and I hope you liked it as much as me ^_^**


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